True Defeat
by Wraffie
Summary: When Bugsy loses to Sabrina in the Gym Leader Tournament, he's upset and doubts himself. Can his friend and fellow Gym Leader Falkner snap him out of it, and convince him to be confident in himself once more?


A/N: This is somewhat manga-based. Takes place in the Johto arc, during the competition between the Kanto and the Johto Gym Leaders. C:

It's not earlyshipping really, since the age difference makes that undesirable, but it's just something to show Falkner and Bugsy's personalities. BECAUSE THEY ARE ADORABLE, AND THERE IS BASICALLY NO FANFICTION OF THEM. AT ALL.

Right. So I normally go with Bugsy being twelve years old and Falkner being twenty, just so you know.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

True Defeat

Losing helped you get stronger. To see your errors and fix your flaws. But in the battle Bugsy had just had with Sabrina of Saffron City, he hadn't just lost. He had been led on like a fool and thoroughly defeated. To say that Bugsy's confidence remained unperturbed would have been a lie, despite how vehemently he told himself that his loss was just another learning experience.

The purple-haired child whimpered under his breath as he ran through the door to his preparation room at Indigo Plateau, and collapsed into a chair, pulling his knees up to his chest. Eyes became and remained distant as their owner mentally analyzed the recent battle.

His Bugs…his beloved Scyther and Heracross…they had fallen so quickly. Sabrina hadn't even broken a sweat. Even when Scyther had been slashing her Psychic types with Fury Cutter she had held control of the battle. And at the end…Heracross had been rendered immobile by Encore…Bugsy remembered falling to his knees as the severity of his loss sunk in. Before the eyes of all those people watching. His _friends_ watching. It didn't really hurt his pride. Bugsy didn't really have a pride to hurt. It was more that he had failed his team, the Johto leaders.

Shame mingled in with the sadness of his expression. The shock had been great, of course. It still was. After all, Bugs were supposed to be strong against Psychic Pokemon! But his defeat had been thorough despite his type advantage. And the damage taken by Sabrina's Pokemon had been minimal. Bugsy felt a low whimper escape him, and he hugged his knees closer, blue eyes cast humbly down to the ground, and lips held in a pout.

Of course, he had been polite to Sabrina afterwards. He had congratulated the cold, smirking female, then wished his fellow Johto leaders luck with a cheery smile. Only after had he retreated back to his room, where he could be alone to think for a while. Bugsy had been planning to reflect, to learn, but instead he had found himself moping miserably and unproductively instead. He couldn't really help it.

Perhaps the most painful part of his loss was the fact that even if he had known exactly what Sabrina had been planning, he would have lost anyway.

"Bugs are the best. So why did we lose?" Talking to himself wasn't going to enlighten him, he knew, and the sound of his own voice so somber and sad succeeded only in upsetting him more, but Bugsy needed to talk to _someone._ However, it would be rude to burden someone else with his concerns. He didn't want to go out and bug one of his friends. Bugsy was a Gym Leader, and he was supposed to accept defeat and move on. It wasn't meant to affect him so deeply. To leave him so upset.

Maybe all of his detractors, who thought him too young to be a Gym Leader, were right. He had never listened to them before, but he felt so weak at the moment. And their concerns seemed valid now that he was struggling. Anyone older would have dealt with such feelings easily. Anyone older might not have lost so badly. The boy hadn't moved or changed his expression for a number of minutes, the sadness and self-pity weighing heavily on him and making him feel leaden. The usual cheer and childlike innocence that came so naturally to him felt unattainable in his state. That is, until he heard an all too familiar, and incredibly welcome, voice drift through the closed door.

"Bugsy?"

Bugsy opened his eyes immediately and looked up from the floor. A handsome male stuck his head into the room, the single eye that was visible beneath his navy hair soft as he eyed the boy huddled in the chair.

But as the newcomer watched, Bugsy stood up, a wide, legitimate smile spreading across his face.

"Falkner!" Bugsy proclaimed, naming the being that had brought such a drastic change to his mood. He trotted toward the Flying type expert in question and hugged him, pressing his face into the other's chest briefly before pulling back, craning his neck to gaze happily up at Falkner.

Falkner eyed him closely, returning the smile Bugsy was giving him despite the concern he felt. Few, if any, could stimulate Falkner to offer such a gentle expression, but the purple-haired child's joy was infectious. Especially to him. However, Falkner easily recalled that a moment before he had been spotted by Bugsy, the young boy hadn't been looking very cheerful. It wasn't difficult to imagine why. Falkner had been watching the battle between Bugsy and Sabrina. And despite Bugsy's apparent cheer directly after the battle, it appeared that Falkner had been correct in his guess that the cheer would not last very long once the boy was on his own. Concern furrowed the eyebrows on his mature-set face, and he spoke up in a gentle but firm questioning tone.

"Do you want to talk about it, Bugsy?"

Bugsy's smile faded and he released Falkner, taking a step backwards. He clasped his hands behind his back, gaze falling guiltily to the floor.

"I shouldn't be so upset, I know. Losing is just a way to learn! To get better! A-and I'm a Gym Leader. I'm supposed to accept losing. I'm sorry, Falkner." Bugsy murmured apologetically, starting to rock back and forth on his heels anxiously.

This was so different from the regular Bugsy. This somber, quiet boy was not his friend and fellow Gym Leader. Falkner felt himself grow serious at the very sight, and then downright grave as he heard the boy's words.

He placed a firm hand on Bugsy's shoulder, attempting to catch Bugsy's gaze, which kept flitting nervously about.

"You have the right idea about this, Bugsy, but I know sometimes it's hard to do what you know you should. Losing is rarely enjoyable, after all. Seeing your partners fall in defeat is painful, and it's natural to feel upset," Falkner told him a distinct softness lacing the tone.

Bugsy looked up at this, finally meeting Falkner's eye. "It was painful to see Heracross lose and it's true I'm kind of upset… But Falkner, what if they're right? All those people who think I shouldn't be a gym leader?" As the truest of Bugsy's concerns was voiced, the boy began fidgeting anxiously again, looking down. "I-I mean I lost really badly. And I even had a type advantage! So maybe I'm just not cut out to be a leader." Bugsy added hastily as if to explain. He didn't dare look up at Falkner, fearing what expression he would adorning his friend's face should he look up. Falkner was someone Bugsy respected. He was an expert in his field, he was shrewd in battle, and he used the unique abilities of each of his birds to full extent. It was more than safe to say Bugsy looked up to him. Wanted to be like him. Like an older brother. Overwhelmed by a sudden wave of adoration for his friend, Bugsy gathered his confidence and looked up at Falkner, his eyebrows furrowed delicately with determination, almost bordering on defiance, presumably aimed towards the sadness and loss of confidence afflicting him.

Falkner blinked, then smiled at the decidedly adorable expression Bugsy was wearing. The younger boy really could be a puzzle sometimes. Certainly, he wasn't like most children his age. His mind was constantly on his Bugs and everything to do with them. Researching them, battling with them, talking about them… His enthusiasm for Bugs matched Falkner's own love for his Flying types. Perhaps that was why they were such good friends despite the eight year age difference. Different type specialties but the same mindset. Kindred spirits.

However, Bugsy's words were nothing to smile about. And so Falkner frowned appropriately in concern, using the hand he still had on Bugsy's shoulder to turn him gently around and then guide him toward the chair he had been sitting in earlier.

Bugsy obediently allowed himself to be led, sitting down in the chair and watching with a degree of curiosity but also anxiety as Falkner pulled up another chair and sat down across from him. The reason he was so nervous about talking about something such as this with Falkner was that he feared the other Gym Leader would be disappointed in him. Falkner was always so confident. In fact, his confidence often bordered on arrogance. He would never experience such a break in his resolve. Would Falkner see him as nothing but a weak child? Blue eyes were wide as they watched Falkner, waiting for him to say something.

The single eye visible beneath Falkner's sleek sidebangs was on Bugsy, and it was unusually soft and understanding. Falkner still marveled at how Bugsy made him more, for lack of a better word, human. Around him, he felt different. It was similar to how he felt when he was flying and training with his birds. Like he could be himself around someone who truly understood him. But sometimes it was hard for Falkner to understand Bugsy.

"Don't ever think that you're not cut out to be a Gym Leader. You passed the Gym Leader exam and you were entrusted with the Hive Badge. Do you think you could've accomplished that at such a young age if you didn't have the stuff to become a Leader?" There was a righteous anger in Falkner's voice, kept carefully level and cool despite it. He and Bugsy were so similar, but Bugsy was doubting himself?! He wasn't angry at Bugsy, no, but he felt himself getting irritated with those who had put such thoughts in his head. Children were impressionable, even if that child was one so exceptional as Bugsy. Seeing the alarm and anxiety written all over Bugsy's face, Falkner heaved a sigh, offering a smile and effectively relaxing himself.

"One loss isn't the end of the world. Even if this may have felt like a loss worse than others, that just means you can get that much better by analyzing it. And all those people who say you shouldn't be a Leader…" Falkner trailed off here, his gaze rising to the ceiling a moment before dropping back to Bugsy's face. "…They aren't Gym Leaders. How should they know?"

The lighthearted, almost amused way Falkner spoke this brought a smile to Bugsy's face, and the purple-haired boy felt himself relaxing into his chair, his spine no longer stiff. Bugsy had never really thought of it like that. His detractors were adults. They were older and deserved respect and it was therefore necessary to always be polite around them. Most of the adults that Bugsy worked with during research in the Azelea ruins or when out in Ilex Forest looking for Bugs were kind people, but when he met a rude adult who told him he was only a child who shouldn't have been allowed to become a Gym Leader…Well, he took it to heart. But to hear Falkner say that suddenly made something click in his mind. Sure, adults were more experienced at life due to being older, but surely they couldn't have been as experienced as Bugsy in certain elements of life! Like when referring to Bugs and the ruins, or when talking about being a Gym Leader! So they had no right to tell him he shouldn't be a Leader, and that meant anything they said should be politely ignored.

Without the added weight of adult disapproval bringing him down, Bugsy suddenly felt as if his loss and the disappointment stemming from it were manageable. He felt hopeful now, and his change of mood showed in his face as the smile already present widened, Bugsy even giving a happy giggle.

Falkner responded with a smile of his own. "Feeling better now?" He asked warmly. There really was no need to ask; you didn't even need the sharp eyes Falkner possessed to see Bugsy was happy. But seeing the enthusiastic nod Bugsy gave in response, and the way his eyebrows furrowed in a sort of joyful determination made it worth it to ask a redundant question. Suddenly Bugsy's face lit up in remembrance.

"Oh! Falkner! I'm sorry! I forgot to congratulate you on winning your own battle!" Bugsy suddenly gushed, standing up quickly and jumping forward to take Falkner's hands, squeezing them happily, his blue eyes twinkling. However, Falkner suddenly looked unhappy as his win was brought up, as his lips pursed slightly and he looked down a moment.

Bugsy tilted his head to the side in confusion, blinking. He wasn't the best at reading human expressions, but it wasn't hard for him to see he had said something to upset Falkner.

The Flying-type expert looked up at Bugsy and then to explain stated, "I didn't win, Bugsy. Janine forfeited. It might as well have been a loss."

Bugsy blinked in surprise. It was true that Janine had inexplicably fled the battlefield, but that was _her_ fault. But yet Falkner seemed upset, as if he was the one who had done so.

"It was a dishonourable win, and I shouldn't take pride in it," Falkner continued rather seriously, his one visible eye shutting. He freed one of his hands from Bugsy's grasp to run it through his hair, pushing his thick bangs out of his face for a moment before they fell back to hide his eye once more. He couldn't count his foe's forfeit as a win for him, after all.

"B-but Falkner!" Bugsy exclaimed in protest, watching as Falkner looked up at him, somewhat bemused by Bugsy's sudden vehemence. Bugsy wasn't the best with words, but he felt it was necessary to change Falkner's mind. Because he had seen the battle, and Falkner's performance had been amazing. He had expertly commanded his Pokemon, and Bugsy was sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that if the battle had ended with one battler actually being defeated, it would've been Falkner that ended up triumphant.

And as he often did, Bugsy decided to use an analogy using Bug Pokemon to help him get his point across. Still holding Falkner's hands tightly in his own, he began in a knowledgeable, serious voice.

"Falkner. Sometimes, when a Scyther battles too often without resting, its blades get dull and chipped. Now these Scyther are normally the strongest in the area, and they have a lot of territory to defend, so most of the time they win the battles they fight. But they still get chipped blades. Now, these Scyther are so humiliated that they often end up injuring themselves trying to resharpen their blades." About mid-way through this speech, Bugsy realized that he was now simply lecturing on the nature of Scyther, and had completely forgotten what his point was. This made him blush, embarrassed, as he thought rapidly, trying to remember what he was going to say.

"S-so what I'm trying to say, Falkner, is that uhm… The Scyther wins the battle, but it gets so upset at its blades getting weak, it hardly even seems to appreciate its strength! So you should be careful you don't become like that!" Bugsy hastily said, shuffling his feet somewhat nervously, still blushing. He looked down at the ground, willing the heat in his cheeks to fade, before looking back to Falkner's face, seeing he was suddenly smiling very wide, chuckling slightly, his single visible eye twinkling.

"You're right, Bugsy. I may not have won, technically, but I shouldn't be treating it like a loss," Falkner said, still smiling brightly, and Bugsy giggled happily.

"Yep! Besides, I know you would've won the battle, anyway. So you really _should_ treat it like a win!" Bugsy gushed merrily, backing away a step or two and releasing Falkner's hands as the older Leader stood up.

Falkner gently ruffled Bugsy's hair and pushed the chairs back against the wall, still smiling slightly.

"Now that all that's cleared up, let's go cheer on the rest of the Johto Leaders, hmm?" Falkner suggested, and Bugsy nodded eagerly.

"Yep! We have to go cheer them on!" He told happily, clasping his hands behinds his back and rocking back and forth on his heels, his eyes shut in contentment. He stopped this action, however, to walk forward and follow Falkner out the door.

Falkner looked down and followed the merry Bugsy, glad that the sadness and doubt had been banished from him. Because Bugsy didn't deserve to be put down. Still so young but already he had accomplished so much. Even if he had lost the battle, Falkner had no doubt in his mind he would improve from it.

Bugsy was smiling vaguely to himself as he turned around to look at Falkner. The older Leader looked happy, now, and this was good in Bugsy's opinion. Because Falkner's battle had been amazing to watch, and such prowess with bird Pokemon was a victory in itself.

And one thing was for certain. Both of them had changed their mind on the nature of defeat.

---------------------------------------------------------

A/N: TA-DA. 8D So I hope you enjoyed reading it. ESPECIALLY YOU, SLUT SLICE, SINCE IT'S YOUR WAY LATE B-DAY GIFT. ;D ILUUUUU, DRAGON!~

So reviews and constructive criticism, as usual, would be very much appreciated!~


End file.
